Lily Mitchell and Eliana Frasier teamed up for 29 service points, and Olivia Casey and Cassy Bown combined for 17 kills leading the Broadalbin-Perth Lady Patriots varsity volleyball team to a 26-6, 25-14, 25-11 victory over Scotia- Glenville on Friday night at Broadalbin-Perth High School. The effort was a noticeable improvement from their first match of the season.
“I thought we played pretty consistent,” Broadalbin-Perth coach Mike Calvello said. “Our serving, defense, and attacking were good. Much improved from Wednesday’s match. A better overall game.”
The Lady Patriots wasted no time in breaking out to an early 4-0 lead in game one behind the serve of Mitchell and a pair of kills by Bown and Casey. A kill by Frasier stopped a chance by Scotia-Glenville to respond, and Casey stepped to the line for four points off her serve boosted by a kill from Tesa Brody. Halfway through the serving rotation and BPHS led 11-2. Missed hits and double hits on attempts by Scotia-Glenville stymied any possible rally, but the Lady Patriots did a better job of keeping their hits on the court than they did against Gloversville in their first match. Frasier stepped to the line and reeled off seven of her game high 15 service points aided by kills fro Bown and Madsion Fariello and suddenly BPHS led 21-4. Hannah Venditti recorded an ace from her serve to end the streak, but following a miss, Fariello finished off the game one win with three straight points. A smoother effort by the Lady Patriots with all six starters scoring points from their serves in just one complete rotation.
“I’m proud of how much we’ve improved as a team,” said Olivia Casey a senior captain for the Lady Patriots. “We’ve improved our hitting and we have a strong offense to go along with a steady defense.”
Mitchell got BPHS off to a good start again in the second game staking them to a 4-0 advantage. Casey put an end to two Scotia- Glenville rallies with a pair of kills on the defensive end, and with Frasier serving, Casey teamed up with Bown for kills on the offensive side creating an 11-4 BPHS lead. Scotia- Glenville needed to respond.
Maya Bellamy stepped to the service line with the Lady Tartans trailing 13-6. Bellamy recorded her only two service points of the match cutting into the Lady Patriots lead, but once again Casey halted the rally on an assist by Fariello. Mitchell then stepped in to serve for BPHS and recorded a pair of aces during a five point string that included kills and assists by Brody and Bown, expanding the Lady Patriots lead to 19-8. Casey again stopped the next Scotia- Glenville serve with a kill giving Bown a chance for a pair of point from her serve. Keely Lagon led a brief Lady Tartans rally that cut the lead to 22-13, but Casey put the finishing touches on the win from her serve with Mitchell assisting on kills by Bown and Frasier.
“We push hard as a team and we work hard,” Casey said. “We all love the sport and it shows. It comes easy to all of us.”
Scotia-Glenville had its only lead of the match at 4-3 with Katrina Vrooman serving in game three, but it was short lived when a kill by Frasier, assisted by Kayla Weaver gave the serve back to BPHS where Sydney Rogers picked up her two points of the match giving the Lady Patriots a 6-4 lead. Casey ended another Lady Tartans rally keeping the home team up 7-5, and allowing Brody a chance to use her powerful serve to double the margin to 10-5. Fariello stopped Ellen Luke’s serve with a hit down the line giving Frasier a chance to reel off five more points including three kills by Bown and a pair of assists by Weaver and Fariello. Broadalbin-Perth led 16-6 with the last point coming on a furious rally saved by a dig from Fariello and ended with a kill by Bown. Scotia- Glenville managed to put together three points off Luke’s serve to slice the lead to 16-10, but BPHS showed a more complete display of teamwork with all six players on the court getting involved in the scoring when Fariello took the ball on the Lady Patriots next serve.
Casey drilled another kill for the first point off Fariello’s serve to make it 18-10. Bown and Casey took turns sending the ball to the floor on assists by Weaver putting the Lady Patriots closer to the win at 21-10. Scotia- Glenville forced a side out, but Casey delivered yet another rally stopping kill giving the serve back to the Lady Patriots where senior Adrienne Morreale served up the last three points of the match including an ace for the game winner.
“We need contributions from everyone, every night,” Coach Calvello said. “I thought everyone contributed tonight.”
Every player that stepped on the court for Broadalbin-Perth had an impact on the final score. Casey ended the night with seven service points, three aces and eight kills. Bown had nine kills, three service points and one ace. Mitchell played a solid game with 14 service points, five aces and ten assists. Frasier topped the charts with 15 service points, five kills, four digs, and one ace. Fariello had eight points, six digs, five assists, and two kills. Brody finished with four service points, four kills, and two assists. Weaver added six assists, Morreale had three points including the final ace, Rogers had two points and an assist, and Alison MacDonald had one assist for Broadalbin- Perth (2-0). The Lady Patriots were also more efficient in keeping their hits on bounds as only four attempts went wide of the mark.
Keely Lagon had four points for Scotia- Glenville (0-2 Foothills Council). Ellen Luke had three points and two kills. Maya Bellamy had two points and two kills.
Broadalbin Perth travels for a pair of road games this week beginning with a match at Schuylerville on Wednesday. The Lady Patriots also face another league division rival when they visit Johnstown on Friday. Varsity is scheduled to begin play at 6pm.
